Middle East

Israel Minister Warns Gaza-Like Destruction as Army Widens Lebanon Evacuation Calls
Israel Minister Warns Gaza-Like Destruction as Army Widens Lebanon Evacuation Calls

Minister of the Israeli Finance Ministry Bezalel Smotrich warned that Beirut’s southern suburbs will be like Khan Younis, Gaza, a city that has faced great destruction since the Gaza war began. ”Very soon Dahiyeh will resemble Khan Yunis,” Smotrich said during a visit to the Lebanese-Israeli border.  “Hezbollah made ...

Iran Says Preemptive Operation Foiled Alleged U.S.–Israeli-Backed Plot by Separatist Groups
Iran Says Preemptive Operation Foiled Alleged U.S.–Israeli-Backed Plot by Separatist Groups

Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence said Thursday that security forces carried out a preemptive operation against separatist groups, claiming the action disrupted what it described as a plot supported by the United States and Israel. In a statement released by the ministry, Iranian authorities said the operation was conducted in coordination ...

Iraq's Kataeb Hezbollah Says Commander Killed in Strike
Iraq's Kataeb Hezbollah Says Commander Killed in Strike

The Tehran-backed Iraqi group Kataeb Hezbollah said on Thursday that one of its commanders was killed in a strike in southern Iraq the previous day. Ahmad al-Hamidawi, the secretary-general of the armed faction, mourned in a statement the loss of a "great commander," Ali Hussein al-Freiji, who had joined the group more than two decades ago. Two ...

Israel Strikes Palestinian Camp and Southern Beirut Suburbs
Israel Strikes Palestinian Camp and Southern Beirut Suburbs

An Israeli strike on Thursday targeting a car on the Zahle–Karak highway in the central Bekaa killed two people and wounded two others, Lebanon’s Public Health Ministry said in a statement. Beirut’s southern suburbs An Israeli drone strike targeted two cars late Wednesday at the southern entrance of the city along the Ziad ...

Strike Kills Two Pro-Iran Fighters in Southern Iraq
Strike Kills Two Pro-Iran Fighters in Southern Iraq

Two fighters from the powerful Tehran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah group were killed on Wednesday in a strike near their base in Iraq, as the war in the Middle East raged across multiple fronts. Attacks were also reported in Baghdad and Erbil throughout the day, as the US embassy urged its citizens to leave the country as soon as they were able. Two ...

Qassem: ‘As Long as Occupation Exists, Resistance and its Weapons Retain a Legitimate Right’
Qassem: ‘As Long as Occupation Exists, Resistance and its Weapons Retain a Legitimate Right’

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem delivered televised remarks amid Israeli strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Qassem’s speech marked his first appearance since Hezbollah opened fire on Israel on Monday morning. He spoke on issues including the ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes in the region, the internal displacement of ...

Lebanon Bans Hezbollah’s Military Activities, But Stops Short of Terrorism Label
AnalysisLebanon Bans Hezbollah’s Military Activities, But Stops Short of Terrorism Label

In an unprecedented move, Lebanon’s government on March 2 banned all Hezbollah’s military and security activities and instructed the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to immediately move forward with its plan to disarm the militia. The decision came hours after a Hezbollah rocket barrage into Israel, which triggered a widescale military ...

Israel Initially Planned to Strike Iran in Mid-2026: Minister
Israel Initially Planned to Strike Iran in Mid-2026: Minister

Israel had initially planned to strike Iran in mid-2026, but developments inside the Islamic republic and shifting regional dynamics brought the timetable forward to February, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday. "An operation was planned for the middle of the year with the same target set," Katz said in an address to ...

Hezbollah and Iran Strike Israel as Israel Continues Attacks
Hezbollah and Iran Strike Israel as Israel Continues Attacks

Hezbollah and Iran carry out further strikes in Israel as Israel continues to expand its operations in Lebanon. Hezbollah struck two Israeli military vehicles in the town of Houla in southern Lebanon, saying that it hit with “appropriate weapons, achieving a direct hit.” The organization also stated that it hit an Israeli Merkava ...